From Depths We Rise

by Insane Dominator

1 year has passed since Dan and the Battle Brawlers saved the universe, and when things were serene, a new group of Bakugan players are sent to New Vestroia when a dimensional interference forces them to meet each other. Caught in the crossfire with aliens seeking resources, Luke, Abis Omega, and new friends must fight using unlikely odds if they're to save all from extinction.

19. Aquos Cyclowave

A large-scale explosion comprising of dust, yellow, with a mixture of purple, swallowed up a small base. From either side, two figures slid across the ground as the dirt beneath them picked up. When they came to grinding halts, dust billowed like an all-around sandstorm. Luka glared daggers into the sandstorm towards the foe at hand. He frowned so heavily that it looked like it was about to fall off.

As the dust settled, it revealed who it was that were pushed back; Luxtor on the one end, with Alto Brontes' taller body rising back up like a giant.

"What a glutton for punishment that truly is." Luka scoffed. "Ability, activate! Sprite Glow!" Alto Brontes manifested four yellow energy rings around his wrists that he grabbed hold of and crossed his arms. With one swing of all the arms, the four rings soared through the air at Luxtor.

Luxtor's dark eyes glimmered for a second before a bright purple streaky beam soared ahead of him. As the beam bolted across the ground, the four rings closed in and met the beam. The two attacks battled for dominance as bright and dark sparks intertwined, like yin and yang. They tried to overthrow the other, but the momentum was on both. After several seconds, both attacks collapsed on each other and imploded. A spiraling mesh of yellow and purple mixed as a hemisphere of the energy expanded towards both Bakugan, making their fates unknown.

After the flash subsided, Luka swiped his arm, reveling to be fine. 'Its intelligence is no different than last time.' He thought. "Brontes! Shining Nightmare!"

Within the white space taking over both Bakugan, there was a bleak black streak that grazed through the air. The explosion suddenly split, having done so by Alto Brontes' silver and yellow blades on his arms. Luxtor snarled as the explosion around him also faded.

'Its attacking patterns are no different from last time either. Riaan's genetic programming must have evolved to where the Bakugan are able to be independent to think on a cognitive level.' Luka discerned heavily as he watched carefully. 'From what I've seen, the wild Bakugan don't generally have the knowledge to process and counter independently without winning so many battles.'

Luxtor's eyes glowed brightly, charging up an intense volume before expelling a dark purple beam that shot across the ground. It ripped across the earth to where it tore open a ditch within the shaking earth.

'Which means two things…' "Ability activate, Magic Dice!" Brontes brought his arms together in front, where a golden bright light flashed to reveal a fast-spinning dice. As the dice rolled on, Luka's mind continued to race at an alarming rate. 'Either the Gundalian Bakugan on this planet are prone to high intelligence due to natural battling, or it's because of Riaan's fixed metamorphosis. Either way, a Bakugan can only do so independently on its own.'

The dice finally stopped, landing on a 6. The side ignited in a bright glow, where a large, translucent mirror arose in front of Alto Brontes. The attack unleashed went into the mirror, where it was absorbed and taken in until it was but a blob. Once taken in fully, the blob was launched back in an expanded force at more alarming range. Riaan's Luxtor was right in its path when it exploded in a volatile manner. Its range was indefinite as the Darkus Bakugan wailed in agony through the cyclone of darkness it brought onto itself.

As the shaking subsided, the dark waves ceased, and the ground steamed as Luxtor crashed with a thud.

"I pity you." Luka scoffed. "To think that Riaan would allow his personal Bakugan out in the open really, it's sad."

Luxtor struggled to fix itself upright as it turned back towards Brontes.

"I can't think of any other reason he would put you of all the Bakugan out here without him guiding you. My only guess that it would mean he's finally initiated prospects for Project Armagedoid. Which means you're now fully expendable to him."

Luxtor let out another harsh hiss. He got up on his hind and gave a shrilling, low shriek that could curdle ear drums. It sounded like a denial. It propped on the very bottom and sprung high. Him got above Brontes, who watched him soar down with a shrieking bellow. He jumped backwards to didge the massive insectoid creature, making rock and dust beneath crack and kick up.

As Brontes stood over Luka, the man glared. "Your existence is as faulty as a computer. You can be fixed up as many times as your manufacturer allows it, but when time comes, your use will be outdated. It's the same with people, as is living things." Within the dissipating dust, Luxtor let out another harsh snarl and observed carefully. "Superior as you are to the New Vestroia Bakugan, at least they're not faulty. Perhaps if Riaan cared, he would've found a way to fault your DNA to where you could actually evolve and understand me."

"Luka." Brontes said. "It's time."

Luka nodded in understanding. "Right."

Luxtor unleashed another menacing shriek before unleashing a straight blast of purple lasers from its eyes dead ahead.

Luka swiped his arm. "Brontes! Make it quick! Ability activate, Atmosphere!"

Brontes raised his four hands and manifested four silver gyros with yellow saucer blades on them. "Hoped you had a good run~!" He threw the four spheres with splitting edging that ripped through the air much like it did with Abis Omega. One sphere spun straight through the laser beam that provided as an interception. The saucer held on well enough to where it had the other three bypass the purple blasts waves. The remaining spheres spun so fast and with such a dense velocity that they weren't stopping. Luxtor gave one last violent hiss as it refused to dodge.

GWOOSH!

As white enveloped the background, the saucers all passed the creature. Time slowed drastically down as they vanished into nothing. With them gone, Luxtor's body went stiff for a moment before it began twitching. It hissed meekly, as if swearing something low to Luka, just as its body was enveloped in its attribute color. Slowly, the Bakugan's hissing went sour as the light fully enveloped it, before its body slumped down and shrunk into thin air.

The dark purple attribute color swirled to purple sparkles that rained down gently in front of Luka and Brontes, both frowning without hesitation.

"We'll give our regards to your master." He told the specs. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of some Subterra Verias crawling up a rock mound in the distance. "Brontes."

"On it!" Brontes swept in front of Luka as they both prepped for the many more Bakugan that swarmed around them now.

As more enemies closed in, Luka glared. 'Whatever's going on, those guys better be busting.'

---

"Gate Card, set!" A Gate Card shot from an insert from Cesar's armrest that shot to the middle of the plateau. The card faded into a bright yellow shockwave across the ground that dissipated. He inserted his Bakugan into another slot and held tight. "Bakugan, brawl! Haos Freezer, stand!" Once more, in a bright yellow light, Freezer arose in front of Shuji with a loud shriek as his tentacles swerved madly beside him.

Cesar rested his cheek against his closed fist. "So you're saying my genius is truly faulty, is it? That's some pretty bold boast coming from a human whose cerebral is as big as an underripe plum. Perhaps you would care to prove your theory to me now, would you?"

Fly Beetle opened on Shuji's shoulder. "Careful. He's taunting you."

Shuji didn't seem swayed. "Heh, big deal. Been insulted a lot worse by Maggie."

"Well that is, uh, true…do we have a plan?"

Shuji's smirk turned into a frown. "Give me a sec. I'm trying to see what he's doing here." It's true Shuji really wasn't the best when it came to decipher another's strategy, especially when he's so focused on working on his own. He had his faults like everybody else, but like some faults, he works through them well enough.

A little slow for a strategist, but he wasn't going down this way. Not by a long shot. His grin returned.

"Okay, I think I got something."

"Alright, I trust ya." Fly Beetle closed in ball form to be seized by Shuji.

"Okay then, Bakugan…BRAWL!" He threw Fly Beetle in, who opened up. "Subterra Fly Beetle, stand!" In a brown light, Fly Beetle arose one more time to take action against his adversary with a loud roar. His horn was raised high as a sign of intimidation.

Freezer: 450 Fly Beetle: 350

Shuji clutched his fist and held it up to his face. "You said something us being no good for this world, right? Well I can say the same back. Call me chubby, do ya? Well how about we see you keep that word, ya fatheaded dweeb!"

Cesar chuckled. "Gladly. Cockroaches like you ought to know their place. Right underneath my shoe!" He raised his hands high towards the outer lands. "This world is on the verge of a true evolution, and you and your friends have no vision as I do to see that come to fruition!"

Shuji returned the smirk. "Heh, hate to break it to ya, but getting home is much more important right now than your crummy vision." Through with talking, Shuji held up his brown Bakumeter. "Alright Fly Beetle, ability activate! Fly Arrow!" Fly Beetle lengthened his front legs across the plateau and slouched forward, His twin tusks glowed and shot two projectile rays at Freezer.

Freezer: 450 (-100) = 350 Fly Beetle: 350 (+200) = 550

As the blast rolled in, Cesar held up his own Bakumeter. "Feeble. Ability activate, Haos Force!" Freezer snarled low as he gathered energy in front of him. The pressure around him eroded into a compressed sphere of bright yellow with dark yellow static. The sphere unleashed a compressed blast that tore through the ground at Fly Beetle's attack.

Freezer: 350 (+300) = 650 Fly Beetle: 550

The twin bright orange rays closed in, only for their energy to dissipate like a fog when the bright yellow beam shot clean through, burrowing straight down the middle towards Fly Beetle.

"Not so fast!" Shuji shouted. "Ability activate, Cast-Iron Carapace!"

Seeing his attack being of little use, Fly Beetle ceased and stiffened his hard body. The beetle's orange body was enveloped slowly in a thick coating of shimmering metallic filament that crackled like a shell upon solidification. The Haos attack bored on in, but upon meeting the hardened shield, it dissipated into bright rays everywhere else, spreading about places that made rock mounds far out get swept up in ground-shaking earth plumes.

Freezer: 650 Fly Beetle: 550 (+200) = 750

As the explosions in the distance caused a scene, Cesar seemed less than intrigued. "Shifting to defense, I see. Very fitting for someone who's fighting for such a meek little life."

Shuji's brow furrowed. "Man, you really like to belittle, do you?"

"Oh, and do you not?"

"Hey, this isn't about me, alright? Look, I'm fed up with this planet, so I say you let us go home. Is that too much to ask?"

Cesar raised his head, giving a maniacal smirk of his own as his one leg crossed over the other. "Defacing the subject I see. You must really be a sorry sight for Earth if you aren't around yourself. Everyone needs a little closure now, don't they? You make it sound like you try to seem selfless, but my genialness can see right through. You're as fed up as your friends. That's proof right there that you're running out of steam!"

Shuji's teeth began to grit. "Do you ever shut your mouth?" he angrily groaned.

Cesar's smirk served to lengthen. "Proof of your impatience is a sign that your intellect is weak. And what this planet doesn't need are mindless insects rummaging through trash." He laughed wild and loudly with insidious, and very unattractive, snorts periodically.

Shuji's fists were balling tightly. 'This guy's on my last nerves. I gotta shut him down, but of I pin down his Freezer, he'll use that Trap Bakugan and do some heavy damage. And if I let up, he might use those abilities to shut down my own. I gotta think!'

"Are you befuddled?" Cesar taunted teasingly. "Then let me help you with that! Come!" He whipped his arm high up, sending a white shape into the air. "Bakugan Trap, Dynamo!" In a bright glow, Fly Beetle and Shuji were faced to face with Freezer and Dynamo, who stood right beside the squid.

Freezer: 650 Fly Beetle: 750

Dynamo: 400

Shuji's intensity could be felt rising. 'There it is again. Crap. This really bites.' He looked towards Fly Beetle, who was still stuck in his own ability for a bunker. He knew he couldn't hide forever if he wanted to fight for their lives.

Cesar gave great gesticulation in his arms once more. "Now then, time to give a grand show! Freezer!
Freezer howled at his name. "Dynamo!" The mechanical spider's eyes glinted. "Combine, and destro~y!"

"What?!" Shuji gasped.

"Uh-oh." Fly Beetle muffled,

Freezer howled before he gave a light bounce on his tentacles. He sprung up and had all six tentacles spread open like he was going to clamp on Dynamo. The spider's head spikes retreated inwards and the head and neck lowered to the body's base. Freezer plopped on top and sunk all six of his tentacles in the small inserts of the six legs. Now emote, Freezer raised on of Dynamo's legs and gave a loud shriek out to the void.

"Freezer…Octavius Drone Mode." Cesar sneered.

Dynamo Freezer: 1050 Fly Beetle: 750

Shuji looked at the power level and grunted. "Crap. They got ahead of us again."

"Shuji!" Fly beetle warned loudly.

Cesar grinned evilly as he raised his arm to show an ability. "Now then, allow me to demonstrate the originality that you sought to sully. Ability, activate! Grapple Bazooka!"

Freezer unleashed a loud cry as he raised to the hind legs alone, standing tall like a horse naying of sorts. The four legs shown had beam-like blasters in them immediately charged by Freezer's mobility and mind. In rapid volleys like machine guns, bright yellow bullets shot at Fly Beetle. The hard-hitting bullets made contact with his exoskeleton-like defense, making him shriek inside in pain.

"CRAP!" Shuji panicked.

Dynamo Freezer: 1050 (+300 +300) = 1650 Fly Beetle: 750

Fly Beetle kept screaming in agony as his barrier wasn't good enough to stop the energy bullets from penetrating through. The front was cracking considerably, soon to where some pieces were flying off. The longer it happened, the more stress poured onto Fly Beetle.

Cesar evilly laughed as he watched his opponent's squirm in distress. "Now do you see?! This is the punishment that cockroaches like you richly deserve! Try as you might, but Interacia will begin an era! One that shall have my foundations as the ultimate legacy! A true work of art in the makings!"

Despite his setbacks before, Shuji gritted his teeth. "Man, talk about running your mouth."

Through the guns going on, Cesar's intercoms were picking up on Shuji's words. "Heh?"

"Yo, Fly Beetle!" Inside the shield that was breaking down through chips and cracks, Fly Beetle gave a strained grunt. "Don't worry, I know what to do now!"

Another large chunk of the carapace was dented in, making a pained blow in his thorax. "Gnngh! Do it!" he urged.

"Okay then!" Shuji bent his knees and raised his Bakumeter. "Ability activate…Subterra Seeker!"

Fly Beetle's eyes glinted red before the rest of his carapace cracked and broke off, leaving him wide open as the bullets relentlessly bombarded him. Only a few did major impact, but he pulled up his wing shields and infused a magma-like color in the brown accents. As more bullets went his way, they ricocheted off the wing shields back at Dynamo Freezer at speeds of lightning. Bullets passed one another and returned fire at the ground beneath them, making Dynamo Freezer get enveloped in an eruption of dust and yellow.

Dynamo Freezer: 1650 (-300 -300 -300 -300) = 450 Fly Beetle: 750 (+100) = 850

Cesar's glasses nearly fell off his face. "What?!"

Shuji returned his own mocking laughter. "Thought I wouldn't know? I had to wait for one of your strongest abilities, and that's when I pulled out this trick again." He watched as the bullets ceased, and Dynamo Freezer was seen squirming in distress through the dissipating dust. "So how do you like them apples?"

Cesar blinked once, then twice, and he finally sighed before calming in is seat. "How aggravating this human is…" he muddles some more, before he glared up at Shuji. "But you're still not that bright. Don't forget, I have more than just that trick, you know."

"What…?" Shuji went wide-eyed when it came to him. "Wait…!"

"Ability activate, Experiment-X!" Cesar unleashed the forbidden card that bestowed a bright purple core right in front of Freezer. The many purple hatches that were chords eroded and began to envelop a majority of his body, making him strain and groan as he generated what power he could to endure.

BA-DUMP!

A small heart pulse went through Freezer that same him dilate. The chords attached to him went out at Fly Beetle, tangling him in many chords that constricted his body. Fly Beetle strained incredulously as Freezer poured his energy into the chords, letting them slowly creep towards Fly Beetle in a dark yellow hue. The chords all enveloped the bright surface, and as such, once it happened, the whole thing turned dark red.

"GNNNAAAH!"

Fly Beetle's body began to flare with deep pain. His anatomy ached with a burning sensation that made the dull pain he had before flaring up in a burning sensation. His whole body was convulsing as his red eyes were glimmering from the transfer of energy.

"Fly Beetle!" Shuji distressed.

Dynamo Freezer: 450 (+400) = 850 Fly Beetle: 850 (-400) = 450

Cesar maniacally laughed as he saw his Bakugan taking in as much power it needed. "That's right, my pet! Transfer the pain you've been taking to that bug! Take as much power as you need! GAHAHAHA!"

Shuji gritted his teeth at the sight. He was running low on steam, and he could tell that Fly Beetle was feeling no different. He saw the insectoid try to shift his head at him knowingly. The red eyes of the Bakugan were glaring at Shuji, daring him to try.

"Fly Beetle…" Shuji muttered.

Fly Beetle groaned weakly as the red chord was pulsating, but in those red eyes, the battler can see the willingness he was showing. It made him nod in understanding.

"Okay then…you asked for it!" Shuji showed another ability card.

"Hm? What now?" Cesar groaned.

"Hate to break it to ya, but we're not done here. Not by a long shot." As Shuji spoke, Fly Beetle strained as well, but he eventually got up.

Cesar smirked. "Intriguing. Well then, suppose this will suffice for good measure?" He reached out to the battlefield. "Gate Card, open! Haos Reactor!" As the chords were still connected, beneath, the Gate Card revealed itself to be the Haos symbol with the twinkly background. A cosmic energy eroded upon the battlefield to make everything bright, and now illuminated the atmosphere."

Dynamo Freezer: 850 (+200 +200) = 1250 Fly Beetle: 450

Despite the pain that was igniting through Fly beetle, his eyes glinted once more as he held up the best he could. With a loud roar of vigilance, he braced himself for what was to come. "Bring it on! SHUJI!"

"YEAH!" Shuji presented more abilities. "NOW! TRIPLE ABILITY, ACTIVATE!"

"Eh?!" Cesar gasped.

"Horn Buster, plus Sonic Wing, and now, Fusion Ability, Terra Surge!"

Fly Beetle was in a lot of pain, but he didn't care. Energy crackled at his horn as he took aim at Freezer. His wings barely opened through the constriction that he was fighting against. He angrily grunted as a bright orange energy enveloped his body, his power making the ground beneath shudder incredulously. "We're not…going to die here…!" he strained. "No!" He let loose another strained roar as more power flared. Dust, stones, rock; all of that spiraled up the horn and churned like a smoothie maker to some extent, and the chords all around were beginning to fade as the pressure was creating a cyclone of energy around Fly Beetle that pulsed alarming magnitudes. "Let's…DO THIS!"

Shuji pointed straight up, slowly levering it down head ahead as a signal. "Let's rock and roll! NOW!"

"WAIT~!" Cesar panicked.

Fly Beetle let out a roar as the power finally made the last of the chords rip open, allowing brown crescents to fly in the turbulence of brown churning earth. A cyclone of earth ran in a funnel and expanded like a vortex with a streaky blast of brown energy in the center.

Dynamo Freezer: 1250 (-200 -200 -200) = 650 Fly Beetle: 450 (+200 +200) = 850

The small cosmos planets and the energy around Freezer was shattered as a cyclone of energy ripped through the shredding crescents and a streaky blast wave from the center. Dynamo Freezer let out a loud, menacing yelp as the blast enveloped him, picking him up as well as pieces of the plateau.

"NOOOO~!" Cesar wailed as the rocks headed for him as well. The one rock knocked into the chair's bottom, making the anti-gravity get knocked off. So, like Dynamo Freezer, he was picked up and spun through the mayhem in a panic.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THI~~S!" His voice and his figure faded as the cyclone went on, eroding at a fast rate as his life gauge fell to 0%.

As the atmosphere cleared, the dust around Fly Beetle settled. The insectoid Bakugan was free now, but with his energy exhausted, he groaned and went back to ball form. He went back to Shuji.

"Hey, you okay?" Despite his question, Shuji, too, was out of breath. He had dirt and stains on his clothes from that messy trick he had to pull to get Fly Beetle free.

"Yeah, yeah…I think so." The beetle mumbled. "Been a while since we've done that one, huh."

Shuji took a deep breath of fresh air, but it didn't go as planned as he was coughing. It took a moment for him to get dust out of the air.

"You good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He looked around the destroyed plateau, seeing as how everything around him was surrounded by large hills and mountains, with valleys at the base all around him. He fell silent as he marveled at the sight. For something so crude, the range it had was somewhat captivating.

Once getting his fill, he looked down at Fly Beetle. "Let's get out of here before that creep shows his face."

"Agreed."

Shuji took off in one direction, where he hoped to find the others eventually.

---

"Bakugan…brawl!" Maggie tossed Jelldon onto the battlefield, where he skipped some before popping open. "Pyrus Jelldon, stand!" In a red glow, Jelldon arose to do battle once more with a small shriek.

"Your fate will befall from the actions you chose." Hendrix threw in his Bakugan next. "Bakugan, brawl! Rafflesian, stand!" In a dark orange glow, yellow vines stuck into the ground as Rafflesian arose for battle.

Rafflesian: 450 Jelldon: 350

"You may have gotten the better of us before. But now, we're ready! Right Jelldon?!" Maggie exclaimed.

Jelldon sheepishly nodded. "Yeah!"

"So be it then." He pulled up his arm, showing another ability. "Ability activate, Mineral Plight!" Underneath Rafflesian, a faint glow resonated, making earth beneath illuminate like crystal as his power level jumped up to 650.

Maggie held up her Bakumeter next, ready with two abilities already. "Okay then, double ability, activate! Sting Ray, plus Correlation of Subterra to Pyrus!" Jelldon generated static electricity around his tentacles, which crackled even more with a red aura enveloping Jelldon's entire body with the power level bumping to 850. He shot charged red static at Rafflesian, which did nothing as it closed in.

Hendrix showed another ability at the ready. "Ability activate, Ground Force!" Rafflesian unleashed another shrilling shriek as his vines were churning beneath him. The land beneath him churned as earth picked up like a geyser in front. The wall of earth supplied as a bunker that the electricity fizzled into.

Rafflesian: 650 (+300) = 950 Jelldon: 850

"Aw man." Maggie pouted. "He got his power level even higher. This is not fun at all."

"Battling itself is not for the faint of heart." Hendrix stated firmly. "On what common ground can you define a battle of life and death as 'fun'?"

Maggie looked morally confused. "Well…it's not. But…"

"In battle, it's either you do or die. No matter whom, never let objects such as yourself be in the way of one whose ambitions are far higher. You'll be nothing more than a nuisance that they will dare not hesitate to bring to their knees. Ability, activate! Corona Thorns!" His Rafflesian responded thoroughly by unleashing his yellow vines into the earth, plunging them deep and expelling a small earth ripple that reached for Jelldon.

Rafflesian: 950 Jelldon: 850 (-200) = 650

Maggie's brow furrowed as she swiped her arm. "Gate Card, open! Element Merge!" The Gate Card opened to reveal the command card. An odd energy that looked like aura enveloped Rafflesian, draining him of his power that eroded into a sparkly arch that went over towards Jelldon. With the power decrease, the ripple of earth fizzled out before it reached Jelldon.

Rafflesian: 950 (-200) = 750 Jelldon: 650 (+200) = 850

Hendrix glared without much to say. He'd rather not admit to Maggie's cliché counter tactics.

"You don't think I'm taking this seriously?" Her fists were balled tightly from her growing angst. Her head was down as her wavy bangs covered her eyes from view. "Is that what you really think? Well let me tell you something, big guy, if I wasn't serious about this before…" She whipped her head up, showing her deep brown eyes boring daggers dead ahead. "Then you can sure s heck bet I'm fighting for my life! I saw a lot of scary things on this planet already, and it's a cruel, desolate world, filled with suffering people! Many innocence died earlier, that's how drastic this got for me!"

The Subterra's eyes narrowed. "And you're just a child. Comprehension like this for you is hard to believe at first. It's natural wherever you go."

"Maybe so…but I might as well make the best of myself if push comes to shove! Right, Jelldon?"

The Pyrus Bakugan nodded and wiggled his arms. "Right…"

Hendrix closed his eyes and pondered about her words. "Make use of what smiles you can bring, huh…?" He was never a man who never knew much of the concept of happiness himself, especially since he never showed a smile. He never had prosperity, nor much of anything.

In his mind, visions of darkness and silhouettes all around him ganging up on him went to them being on the floor as what looked like a younger version of Hendrix was labored in breath.

Refusing to draw away from battle, he pulled out another Bakugan. "Then perish with what strength your lips can form into. Come, Bakugan Trap, Legionoid!" He threw the Trap Bakugan into the air, where it shined a brilliant orange glow before fading to a dust cloud beside Rafflesian. It dissipated, revealing Legionoid ready for battle with a loud shrilling shriek.

Rafflesian: 750 Jelldon: 850

Legionoid: 350

"Not that guy again!" Maggie grimaced. "Awww man!"

Jelldon wiggled uneasily as he was faced with two opponents yet again. "Uh, oh boy…" her nervously muttered.

Hendrix unveiled another ability with a darker tone to his face. Normally composed and calm as he was, he was starting to show wear from his opponent. "Darkus ability, activate! Dark Poison!" His Legionoid made one of his heads give out another low growl before lurching back and reeling forward, unleashing a bolting dark purple and black blast of venom that drew towards Jelldon.

Rafflesian: 750 Jelldon: 850 (-300) = 550

Legionoid: 350

Jelldon wiggled uneasily as the venomous blast drew closer. "Uh, Maggie…?!"

With a serious look, Maggie understood completely. "Don't worry, pal! We're not out of game tricks yet! Ability activate, Gel Shield!" Jelldon upheld his ground at the ability and readied himself. The orange spots on the front grew translucent and eroded an expanding, red watery veil that enveloped all around him. The venomous dark blast made full impact with the shield, being nothing more than absorbed into its ripples.

Rafflesian: 750 Jelldon: 550 (+300) = 850

Legionoid: 350

Maggie had hands to her hips as she tilted her head with a wink. "Sorry~."

Hendrix's brow furrowed deeply with a low grunt. At this point, he was much more annoyed than anything else. He could tell Maggie was hanging in this round, but his own patience was wearing thin. He showed two abilities this time, which overlapped one another.

"Double ability, activate! Burning Poison!" One of Legionoid's head hissed before lurching ahead to expel a red, lava-like blast that bored into Jelldon. It made contact with his shield, which miraculously appeared and absorbed it. "Plus, Root Seep!" Rafflesian plunged his yellow thorny vines into the earth again, this time burrowing deep enough to where the ground began to rumble and erupt around Jelldon, yellow tendrils clamping down on his shield like suckers that were ensuing pressure onto him.

Rafflesian: 750 (+200) = 950 Jelldon: 850 (-50 -100) = 700

Legionoid: 350 (+100) = 450

"Oh yeah?! Well we can do better than that!" Maggie screamed. "Try this on for size! Ability activate, Jolt Eraser!"

As Jelldon was hanging on with his space slowly shortening, the Pyrus Bakugan's spots all around his body began to ignite. Red static began to crackle and expel at an alarming rate. Once ready, he let out a sheepish howl as red lightning discharged everywhere. Through the shield it went, and it was conducted into the vines yet again. Rafflesian's body was enveloped in a painful shock of electricity that he wasn't prepared for, and Legionoid recoiled to avoid a direct blast from the discharging madness.

Rafflesian: 950 (-200 -200) = 550 Jelldon: 700 (+50 +100 +200) = 1050

Legionoid: 450 (-100) = 350

"We're not going down yet!" Maggie defended.

Hendrix immediately went for another ability without a word of say to her remark. "Ability, activate! Bud Bomber!" Recovering from the shock, Rafflesian grunted low as the buds on top of his body were glowing a dark brown. Once ready, like rapid fire machine guns, the bud-like energy spheres went bolting at Jelldon and his shield.

"Okay pal, let's play keep away!" Maggie chimed. "How about you play with your little friend instead! Ability activate, Morphed Deflect!"

Jelldon braced himself. "Alright…" He took a deep breath and waited for the bombs to all close in. When they did, he was ready. "Hope this tickles!" He held tight as the attacks finally made contact, bypassing the shield he made earlier. But when making contact with his body, they just bounced off like a rippling trampoline. They ricocheted off his gelatinous body and instead bounced towards Legionoid.

"Legionoid, defend yourself!" Hendrix ordered. "Ability activate, Gravity Poison!"

In an effort to reduce the damage, Legionoid's one head expelled a dark brown blast of venom at the incoming bombs of energy. The attack was successful in at least coating them in a heavier liquid. Some of the bombs further away sunk closer to the ground, whereas the closer ones fell and struck the lower half of Legionoid, erupting in painful eruptions that made the Bakugan wail.

Rafflesian: 550 Jelldon: 1050

Legionoid: 350 (-150) = 200

Unable to handle the gut blows, Legionoid groaned as he slowly fell forward. Before he hit the ground, he glowed and morphed to ball form, returning to Hendrix's feet.

Hendrix: 30%

Maggie balled another fist out of glee. "Yes! That's one down! Nice job, Jelldon!"

Jelldon, feeling a little empowered by that last win, nodded. "You too, Maggie!"

Hendrix grunted again. Rafflesian looked back at him in wonder. "Master?"

"It's fine." He bluntly answered. He held up his wrist again, showing another ability. "Brace yourself, Rafflesian."

Maggie, having recovered from her little winning streak, looked ahead with wonder. "Huh?"

"Now then, I shall grant you the power that you dare seek, Rafflesian! Uphold and brace at once! Double ability, activate! Chaos Booster-X! Plus, Ground Force!"

Once again, Jelldon and Maggie were at a loss for what to do. Both looked shocked as the atmosphere around them began to thicken. A bright purple core enveloped Rafflesian's front as energy began to course through himself. The energy, much like before, sunk deep into his body.

BA-DUMP!

A massive heart pulse ran through Rafflesian's dark body. His entire outline had a very grim aura envelop it and groan meekly as he endured the drastic power flow. He lurched forward, shaking immensely with the magnitudes running through the rock beneath.

Rafflesian: 550 (+500 +300) = 1350 Jelldon: 1050

The ground beneath Maggie and Jelldon shuddered violently as the chaotic energy began to make cracks flow. Small fissures opened up and expelled torrential blasts of dirt and rock everywhere that spouted about. Jelldon looked immensely shocked as he squirmed out of the way of one rock that landed close by, but it brought him too close to another dirt geyser that spouted by his side.

"Jelldon~!" Maggie panicked as the ground beneath her erupted a small blast of dirt. She was picked up and fell onto her butt with a thud, yelping painfully at the blow dished.

Jelldon looked back with one of his many eyes, seeing the eruption getting to his partner. "MAGGIE!" he shrieked.

Maggie was shaking violently with the earth beneath. She grunted as she tried to get up, but a fissure was starting to open up beneath her. "Gnnngh…wh-AAAHHH!" She began to plummet as the fissure took her in, but a red tentacle reached down, grabbing her before she fell too deep. "Huh?" She looked up, seeing a massive tentacle belonging to someone who turned to help her. "Jelldon!"

Hendrix swiped his arm, not giving a care either way. "Rafflesian, eliminate." With those two words, the Subterra Bakugan unleashed a loud, shrilling shriek that pulsated through the atmosphere.

Jelldon looked back, gasping as he saw the aura around Rafflesian intensify.

"GRRAAAHH!"

"Maggie…? Got any ideas?"

Maggie's brow furrowed as she glared ahead. In her eyes she knew she had to pull out something else. "This guy's really mean." She pouted. "So then let's give him a taste of our own shockwaves then!" Her partner placed her on top of his head, where she sat at the top and looked dead ahead like she was sitting on the world's largest beanbag chair. "Alright then, Jelldon! Let's go!"

"Okay then!" he nodded.

Maggie pulled up her wrist to show two abilities overlapping one another. 'Hope this pays off…' "Double ability, activate! Shockwave, plus Fusion Ability, Glowcer Red!"

Jelldon raised his four tentacles and held his ground, despite how everything around him was shaking apart and spouting geysers. One in particular spouted right before him, blocking him off from Rafflesian. His many eyes narrowed as he grunted, the frilly center of him igniting in bright red to charge power from the Fusion Ability.

Once ready, Maggie's eyes glimmered. "Go! Jelldon!"

Rafflesian unleashed another shrilling shriek of terror that rattled the airspace around him. He plunged his thorns into the ground one last time and sent a massive shockwave of earth that plucked up meters upon tons of rock at the enemy. Jelldon let out his own roar of power as his tentacles all slammed down at once. Thick. Red lightning went omnidirectional and erupted like a veil that struck everything in its path. Small rocks and debris crackled as they were reduced to smaller chunks, and the sand and dust waves that were in between the two settled…only for their attacks to meet in a ballistic red and dusty maelstrom that expanded outwards. Both Bakugan and their masters were enveloped in this intense wave, and neither side held on, except for Jelldon's Gel Shield that was helping him anchor on.

Hendrix grunted painfully as dust and rock and lightning went pass him. He tried to hold on by blocking forward, but he slid back too far that his footing tripped. He yelped as he went flying on his back, whereas Rafflesian struggled to hold on.

Rafflesian: 1350 (-200 -100) = 1050 Jelldon: 1050 (+200) = 1250

Rafflesian grunted as he maintained ground, but the shockwaves were finally uprooting him. A large rock made eminent impact with his face, which shattered and forced him to go flying. "Forgive me~!" He morphed to ball form as the last of the winds dialed down, landing beside Hendrix as he laid on the ground, groaning as his life gauge dropped to 0%.

Jelldon and Maggie barely held on, but even the shockwaves of their own attack backfired. The winds subsided at long last, but Jelldon lost hold because of the ground's lack of support. He fell onto his back with a thud, while Maggie screamed as she rolled onto the ground.

"Owww…" she moaned. Jelldon morphed to ball form, landing in front of Maggie as she tried to recover. "J-Jelldon? Are we still alive…?" she weakly asked.

"I…I think so…" he muttered. "But everything hurts."

Maggie groaned as she rolled to her side. "Uggh…me too."

"Can we never do that again, please? I felt like I was gonna explode. Owwie."

Maggie struggled to stand, but she managed to take hold of Jelldon and manage to her two feet. She looked around to find that everything around her was devastated, and that rocks were piled on everything. When she looked towards Hendrix's direction, she couldn't find him anywhere around. He was blocked off completely.

"Maggie!"

A shout from the distance got the Pyrus girl's attention. She looked up as a ledge far up, finding someone at the edge of a cliff and looking down. "Shuji!"

"You okay?! What happened?!" he shouted. In the distance on his left, a dust cloud erupted from a nearby peak that got his attention. "Huh?"

Maggie gasped at the sound as well. Both Subterra and Pyrus battlers looked towards the peak in the small distance, seeing what looked like green twinkles zooming at each other.

Shuji's eyes narrowed as he used his hand to cover his forehead. "Hm? Hang on, isn't that…?"

---

Atmos and Moskeeto's claws collided in the air, making a powerful wake in between them. The two Bakugan battled for dominance in the atmosphere, but neither side was giving in. Down below, their partners were on elevated cliff edging, glaring at one another like an old fashion standoff.

"Ability, activate!" Killian started the next round. "Parasite Claw!" Moskeeto finally shoved Atmos away and pointed his claws at him. He fired slim green rays at him that traveled at alarming rates.

Jase stood straight up as he showed his counter. "Atmos."

"I'm here, Jase." He responded.

"Ability, activate! Winding Winds!" He swiped his arm upwards to get the attack going. Atmos' body was enveloped by a bright green outline and flapped has wings repeatedly, making green winds that blew away and dissipated Moskeeto's attack.

Moskeeto: 450 Atmos: 200 (+200 +200) = 600

Atmos' green winds soared into Moskeeto, making the Bakugan falter backwards and grunt as he buffered.

"HRAH!" Atmos used the buffering to his advantage and sailed into Moskeeto head on. He rammed the Bakugan in the face, sending him flying backwards into a nearby cliff not far from Killian. The rock all shuddered as some other pieces flew into the valley that lied below.

Moskeeto winced before he started getting up again. "You'll pay for that." He swore.

"You and me both." Killian said. "Ability activate, Max Sonic!" Moskeeto's eyes glowed bright green and he began to charge up for some powerful frequency. His wings began to vibrate at a very daring level that made it seem like a bumblebee. Once charged, he unleashed a powerful cry as a vortex of green soundwaves expanded and shredded through the air towards Atmos.

Moskeeto: 450 (+300) = 750 Atmos: 600 (-300) = 300

The vortex of great magnitude closed in on Atmos, but the Bakugan knew it was too big of a range to dodge. He had to look down towards Jase to see what he had to offer. He saw Jase look up with two abilities in hand, in which he faced forward again.

"A powerful display…but even so, double ability activate!" he countered. "Aviana Tempest, plus Green Talon!"

Atmos once again flapped his wings, this time surging up a maelstrom that began to encase him in a tight wind. A green cyclone arose from the depths of the valley and swerved up to defend him. The turbulence buffered Killian some as he tried to hold his ground as Moskeeto's soundwaves were blowing into the tornado barrier. Within the barrier, Atmos took aim and fired two green beams, these ones ripping through his barrier and surrounded by residual winds. They looked like two green and bright green torpedoes that spun into Moskeeto, creating a powerful eruption of winds that blew the Ventus Bakugan downwards right beside Killian. The impact made rock fall, ones that Killian had to maneuver and get behind more rocks to elude as they fell over the cliff and into the valley, sliding and picking up greater rocks.

An echo could've been heard loudly throughout the entire area.

Moskeeto: 750 (-200 -100) = 450 Atmos: 300 (+200 +200 +100) = 800

"You are indeed an impressive opponent, Killian." Jase acknowledged as Atmos sailed high above him. "However, you always seem to hold back your best cards when in a tight bind. You prefer to lead on with draining power from the opponent; then, rather than give your opponent a chance to recover, you fire back at them to stop their power."

Killian removed himself from behind the rock, getting back up to look at Jase. "You make it sound like it's a bad thing." He mockingly stated.

"Oh it's far from it, actually. In fact, I respect opponents who allow a fighting chance at first and save desperation later. It's simple concept of confidence is you ask me."

Killian reached for something in his pocket. "This coming from the same man who does all the thinking for his group. Don't you ever get tired of being a leader?"

Jase smirked as he adjusted his glasses. "Now whoever said that? I merely am a strategist at heart. But you know, if I'm being honest…it's rather amusing to see the others try and at least attempt to follow in my wake."

"Wait…so you don't help them out?" Killian inquired accusingly.

"Why, I never said that either. I am a man who acts on principle more so than whatever flies in my face. If one is truly to succeed, they need to evaluate they, as well as everyone else knows, and use that information to find an applicable solution. It's nothing more than just our own ideas that I merely just fiddle with for solutions. As a soldier, I carry out these actions, and that is merely what I do."

Killian was even more confused than ever. Sure he was a man of fairness, but even on terms of desperation, he can only process so much at a time, and this was no exception. "Sorry, but I'm not sure I would understand." He apologized.

"It's fine, but what I'm getting at is that you're too predictable." Jase answered.

Killian, however, seemed far from intrigued. "So what if I am? I'm not accordingly like my allies. I thought being a man of 'great value', you'd know this."

Jase lost his smirk that bloomed into a frown. "Well there's only so much you can learn from words alone that actions have to make up for."

Killian glared at him once more. There was a long pause as Moskeeto slowly elevated behind him. 'No, don't get irrational now, Killian. He's just trying to get inside your head. It's mental warfare like this you just need to block out.' He turned back towards Moskeeto, who looked ahead and ready for battle. 'My goal is to beat this guy and his friends. And that's what I intend to do.' He pulled out another Trap Bakugan, this being a three-sided pyramid. "Come out, Bakugan Trap! Triad El Condor!"

The green glow enveloped the atmosphere, and from it, Triad El Condor revealed himself with a low hum.

Moskeeto: 450 Atmos: 800

Triad El Condor: 350

Now it was Jase's turn to show some surprise. "A Trap Bakugan?" He thought back to the tournament battle he had with Luke against Maximus and Xander, and how their mechanical marvels almost put them in the dirt. 'So it's true then. Rogue Zero does have Trap Bakugan for each one of them.'

An ability showed for Killian's Bakumeter. "Don't let me down! Subterra ability activate, Mosaic Stone!" The massive necklace that Triad El Condor adorned began to glow as the triangle altered to the brown tiki. Around him, many of brown energy spheres formed and transformed into small shards of stone, which were flung at Atmos.

Moskeeto: 450 Atmos: 800 (-200) = 600

Triad El Condor: 350

Atmos was surrounded by the green whirlwind like a cocoon, but even he was unsafe as the stones shot through and struck him. He cawed loudly in distress as he faltered backwards, but not enough to deter him as he balanced upright.

"Ability, activate! Typhoon Chase!" Jase countered. The whirlwind veil enveloping Atmos added extra power as a strong wind blew around. The powerful maelstrom made dust surge and tiny rocks blow around as Moskeeto and Triad El Condor tried to keep together.

Killian, however, kept his cool as he presented another ability. "Ability activate, Stasis!" El Condor's eyes glowed bright green as the green tiki showed itself again. A green light expelled from his eyes, which in turn made the winds dissipate around them.

"Nullified my ability, I see." Jase said. "Very well then…" he swiped his arm. "Gate Card, open! Forcement Wind!"

The Gate Card Jase threw in before revealed itself, this being one that made a green aura envelop Atmos once more, and his eyes glinted green. All around him, it looked like his power flowed to a higher level, even as his own shot up to 900.

Killian observed mildly. "Okay. I see." He pulled up another ability card, one that he thought would help. "Darkus ability activate, Black Hail!"

Triad El Condor's necklace shifted to a black tiki, which made the air above him slowly conjure a swirling dark cloud that looked like a storm. Jase looked up in wonder, and from above, it looked like a small purple comet rained like a small clump of hail. It was one, but then another followed. Then another, and then comets of dark energy rained down nonstop, pelting not only Atmos, but shattering the cards into pieces down below.

Moskeeto: 450 Atmos: 900 (-300) = 600

Triad El Condor: 350 (+200) = 550

Jase's eyes narrowed in distaste. "I never expected him to catch up at this rate. He's even more skilled than I imagined."

Without caring to speak, Killian presented another ability. "Now then, I'm through. Moskeeto…time to finish this."

"As you say." The Ventus Bakugan stated.

Killian held his arm up, readying for another attack. "Ability activate, Infestation-X!" Moskeeto hissed loudly as a bright purple core appeared on him once more as well. The core glinted again, and chords of purple eroded from it and constricted hi body. The Bakugan hissed loudly as he tried to handle it, which at this point he was more than able to. The chords slowly sunk into his body, and at last he let out more hiss that created a powerful tremor through the air, one that made Jase and Atmos feel alarmed and almost lose balance.

"Take…THIS!" Moskeeto hissed angrily as an odd, green swarm eroded from his body. The bizarre swarm slowly closed in with a thick buzzing sound that could shake a normal person to their core. Atmos tried to flap it away with a powerful gust storm, but the swarm continued its path and came from two sides, snapping at Atmos in a powerful buzz from both sides.

"No!" Jase exclaimed.

Inside the green, tainted swarm, Atmos could feel the bites they gave sink and turn his skin green. He cawed in pain as he could feel his energy siphon away as it looked like a green filament coted his entire body. As the swarm dissipated, it looked like it was taken in by Atmos, and the Bakugan lowered closely towards the ground in distress.

Moskeeto: 450 Atmos: 600 (-500) = 100

Triad El Condor: 550

"Atmos!" Jase glared ahead as he watched his Bakugan being eaten away by the bizarre energy that sunk into him. It looked painful, and it was hard to tell how much longer he was able to hold up against such an ability. He didn't have a carapace like Fly Beetle, so this meant he was much more vulnerable.

Killian glared daggers at his foe as he reached forward. "Now!"

"Couldn't agree more!" Moskeeto shouted. "Let's go, El Condor!" The Ventus Bakugan and the Trap Bakugan both took off and rushed for Atmos with everything that they had going for them. They closed in at an alarming pace.

Though weakened, Atmos weakly turned his head towards Jase. "J-Jase…"

Jase looked towards his partner with inquiry as to what was happening. What he saw…was Atmos nodding with a serious loom in the eyes. It was as if Jase knew that they had to push through. He glared ahead again, his calm disposition set.

"Very well then, if you think you can handle it, Atmos." He showed two abilities overlapping one another. "If your body can't handle it…then it's game over. I hope you realize that."

Atmos looked ahead, seeing Moskeeto's claws bared for him specifically. "Now, Jase!"

Jase nodded humbly. "Alright then. Double ability, activate! Cyclone Brave, plus Fusion Ability, Anemoi Grace!"

Moskeeto and Triad El Condor were so close to Atmos, but the avian with green energy enveloping his body suddenly widened his eyes. Out of nowhere, a massive tornado of green swallowed him up, becoming a barrier that clocked him off from the two others.

"Oh crap!" Killian panicked.

The thick green cyclone raged in front of them to where they couldn't see the top. When they looked up, they saw nothing but the darkness above, but at the same time, Moskeeto's compound vision enabled him to catch a glimpse of the tornado's top having twinkling sparkles. He hissed defensively as he watched it all arch down onto him and Triad El Condor, both startled to no end. Zooming in, the green comets were green energy stars that circled around Atmos as a vortex of green followed him in a straight dive. He cawed loudly as he began to spin, the winds catching the twinkling stars that were spiraling within.

Moskeeto: 450 (-200 -100) = 150 Atmos: 100 (+300 +100) = 500

Triad El Condor: 550 (-200 -100) = 250

Atmos' green filament continued sapping energy, but his weakening state was like a fault he used to drop his dive directly onto the Bakugan. "CRRAAAAW!"

BOOOM!

He smashed his spinning, glowing cyclone down on the two Bakugan, creating a powerful green wave that billowed intense shockwaves everywhere. A maelstrom of intense energy eroded from all around the cliffs, reaching towards Killian.

"Ohhh…this is gonna hurt." He muttered moments before the maelstrom picked him up and shoved him off the cliffside. "GAAAH!" He screamed violently as he went falling down with the winds and his two Bakugan, which were in ball form.

Killian: 0%

"THIS ISN'T OVER~!" Killian shouted as he flipped. He landed harshly on his hands and two feet like a bear crawl to reduce drag, but he continued sliding downwards, scrambling no avail. He yelped as he faded into the canyons below, with him and his Bakugan faltering below.

Meanwhile, still barely hanging on, Jase coughed a little as he tried to get up from a knee. As the winds subsided, he looked ahead to find that Killian and his Bakugan were gone.

"It looks like we've managed to slip by this time." He looked over towards another important piece. "Atmos."

Atmos was standing on the ground, but he was labored in hardy breaths. The toxins from the chaos ability finally wore off, but he looked shaken up. "I'm okay, Jase." He assured. "I just…" He winced again in pain.

"Don't strain yourself any further." Jase insisted.

"Colonel~!"

Jase heard a faint echo from his surroundings. His head turned towards the sound's origin, being from a girl waving her arms with someone behind her. "Maggie. Shuji."

---

The three managed to find a route that lead together at the side of a deep gorge. With the alcove as cover, they closed themselves in to allow themselves to catch their breaths.

"Oh, thank goodness that we found you." Maggie sighed.

"My apologies if I worried you that much." Jase replied. "And it looks like you both are in one piece it seems."

"Yeah, for the most part." Maggie slumped forward with an exhausted huff. "But man, don't we ever catch a break around here?"

"I hear that." Shuji said. "First we learn one thing, now we find ourselves down under. Just what the heck is going on around here?"

Jase put his hand to his chin. "I can only assume it's some natural defense. I may not know that much in terms of Bakugan's biology codes, but to have them all swarm like that just doesn't seem natural. The fact that Rogue Zero almost successfully ambushed us brings up even more of a mess on our hands."

"Do you think this has something to do with Riaan and his powers?" Maggie inquired.

"Quite possibly. He must have known we were at the surface at that time. That would be more of a reason as to how Rogue Zero were able to get the drop on us."

Shuji looked down at his palm, where Fly Beetle was resting in his ball form. "Well as much as I would love to stick around and get to the bottom of this, guys, I don't think we're really up for any of that."

From the distance, a small, shrilled cry echoed through the valley. Its intense shriek indicated how close it was to the others.

"An~d that's our cue!" Maggie chimed. "What do we do, Colonel?"

"It's too dangerous to be here anymore than we are now. Our Bakugan are thoroughly exhausted from Rogue Zero's ambush." He looked out from the alcove he and the others resided in. He saw in the distance the few pillars and Troposphere in the distance. "We're not far from Troposphere. If we hurry now, we might be able to reach the Trailer."

"If it's still there, anyway." Shuji remarked.

Maggie's eyes widened. "But wait! What about Luka?! He's still out there!"

Jase adjusted his glasses. "I'm afraid we're on our own without his aid. We can only assume Shawn and everyone else is fairing for their lives as we speak. Quickly, follow me!" He, and the group tailing, all made their way down the valley, the echoes of wild Bakugan close behind.

---

In a dark chamber, no ventilation was around, thus making the room surprisingly cold. However, this did not deter Riaan in the slightest. Having taken a break from observing his project at hand, the man found himself in a secluded chamber, where there, his body he used as a catalyst sat on its knees.

The sound of a projection twitched his ears. "My liege." The second sound made him open his eyes.

"Yes, Zion?"

On a projection screen floating above him, the bald man with accents on the head was bowing on one knee and looking at the ground. "Forgive my intrusion, sir, but there has been a great mishap that requires your attention." He said.

"Detail." He responded.

Zion nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry to say, but the rationalized portion of the species of New Vestroia has been considerably declined…including Darkus Luxtor."

There was a long pause that held up in the air to allow Riaan to catch up. Suffice to say that regardless what happened he seemed to be taking it calmly. "…very well then. Thank you, sir Zion. Luxtor has served me well. Now I have another reason to go forward with this act."

It wasn't to say that Riaan wasn't really cold about his wording, but he couldn't lie to himself that everything and everyone can offer so much to another that they are considered obsolete. This was the case for Luxtor. He was a good temporary Bakugan, no matter how moderate it felt to him. Still, a living being was a living being, and as much as he could have grieved, he chose not to.

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes, sir." Zion continued. "It would appear Killian, Cesar, and Hendrix have all been unsuccessful in their part. They have failed us yet again."

Riaan silently nodded in understanding. "Understood. And of the others?"

"Ariella and Xander are in pursuit as we speak. It won't be long before they catch up to the weak Earthling and her Bakugan. The others who have escaped, their signatures are heading back to Troposphere. Shall I unleash a signal change?"

Riaan raised his hand. "There's no need for that, Zion…not yet anyways." He lowered his hand and stood up. He snapped his fingers, where behind him, a gleaming light appeared and materialized its matter into an eccentric chair, much like Cesar's. However, this one was dark red and black in coating. He clasped his hands in front and looked down at the folds. "I think we can make a compromise from this. I've underestimated our mishap's relentlessness, so I think now is as good time as any to initiate the fail safe."

Zion looked up towards the leader. From the look in his eyes, he knew of what it was, and to his personal extent, he saw it nothing more than an overkill. But never does he argue with the leader, so he chose to keep his mouth shut.

"I'm giving an executive order as of now. Tell Maximus if he's looking for Luke, instead, have him reach these coordinates." He tapped into the keypad at lightning fast speed. On the other side of the screen, the hologram reached Zion's side and looked at it. "We'll establish a perimeter there. By the readings of energy, they are more than likely trying to draw the Bakugan there. I wouldn't peg them to try and leave the other behind."

"Yes, my liege." Zion closed the holographic image right beside him and stood up. "The path of which you speak of, does it lead to Shi'imon Hill perhaps?"

Riaan smirked. "Exactly."

Zion nodded humbly in understanding. "It shall be done." With that, the holographic projection was cut off, leaving Riaan to be.

Still in his seat, his frown returned as he looked off to the side. Somewhere, he could feel a strong energy that wasn't Rogue Zero, nor Hades Pillars for that fact. But from what he felt, this energy was dense. If it involved one of those Bakugan, then things were bound to get interesting.

---

In the waters of the far deep, many of Aquos Bakugan were swimming away. As mindless and influenced with negative energy as they were, they knew fear when they felt it, and this was no exception. They were swimming alright, swimming from something deadly not too far behind.

"KRRAAAAH!"

In the deep depths where blue was dark, the shrill cry of a Bakugan echoed like sonar. It traced all the way back to the reason why they fled, and why Luke and Abis Omega were glaring deep daggers as such.

They felt petrified upon seeing it up close. The Aquos Megarus they were looking at was glaring deep daggers with its slim red eyes. It was like looking into the eyes of a soulless monster. For them, it was like a nightmare in the sea.

"Is that a…"

"You've gotta be kidding me."

Abis Omega and Luke were both stumped for what they had to say. They were face to face with something who made the water they swam in shudder. Megarus gave another bloodcurdling snarl, one that made even their organs shrivel.

When the quaking subsided, Luke looked down at his Bakumeter to see how string. The longer he stared at the small screen, the more intense the look in his eyes got. "No way…"

Megarus: 800 Abis Omega: 350

"A power level of that high?" Luke gasped.

"This is looking bad, Luke. Really bad." Abis Omega recoiled away as another vibration went shredding through the water by Megarus' shriek. The water's shuddering soon drew to a stop to allow them a breather for a moment. He looked back down at the creature to see him glaring daggers at them. "Well Luke…what you got in mind?"

Luke's brows furrowed as he could see the Megarus wasn't seeming to let them go. 'This guy looks crazy strong. His power level is higher than Rogue Zero's toughest, even Luka's. But…' An image of Esther singing appeared in his head. 'If I run now, then what would be the point that we're making? We're not doing this just for ourselves anymore. If we don't make it out of this, then that's that for us.' His grip on Abis Omega tightened, getting them to glance at the other to see their minds steeled. 'We've done enough harm to each other. We don't die that easily, no matter whom anymore. This time…it's our turn to protect our friends!'

Megarus let out another shrilled shriek as its backfin propelled him forward.

"Abis…for everyone!" He leaned forward. "Let's go!"

"Right, Luke!" Like Megarus swimming up, Abis began his swim downwards. "BRING IT, MEGARUS!"

The two Bakugan hissed and roared out as they came together. Megarus did a straight shot up to puncture Abis, but his flexible body allowed him to maneuver around and swerved in a spiral around its body. Luke held on as Abis managed to do several loops before he managed to get a tight constriction on Megarus. With his long body, he held a firm few coils on Megarus to keep him in place, but the swordfish thrashed violently in the water, where each turn, rather than air escaping, his scaled grinded against Abis' softer scales. It was like grinding against sandpaper that made Abis ache.

"Abis!" Luke worried.

"I'm…okay Luke! Let's go!"

Getting over his worry for his partner, Luke nodded and presented his blue Bakumeter. "Okay! Double ability, activate! Sea Helix, plus Fusion Ability, Blue Mega!" Abis' eyes glimmered briefly before he exerted a loud roar around the water. Around him, the water level became dense and thickened to a cyclone with bright blue intervals. Inside the mayhem, Luke held on tight as the helix kept bobbing up from down below.

Megarus: 800 (-100 -100) = 600 Abis Omega: 350 (+100 +200) = 650

"Is this doing anything?!" Luke exclaimed.

Inside the cyclone's radius, Abis Omega hung on in tight coils as Megarus was stiff. In fact, as the attack kept sending up blasts of water, the Bakugan growled low, as if disinterested by the power.

Abis Omega gasped in shock. "What?!"

Megarus's eyes glinted as it gave a meek shriek. Suddenly, the vortex of glowing seawater lost its luster as a larger, more intense, vortex of water surrounded the outside edging of it. It swallowed up the attack completely, and with it, Luke and Abis Omega.

Megarus: 600 (+300) = 900 Abis Omega: 650

Luke clung on tight as his air bubble was swaying about in the dense vortex. "Abis! Hang on!"

"I'm trying!" The Aquos Bakugan tried continuously to try and keep himself on Megarus, but the tidal pressure was sweeping him off the swordfish. Finally, Megarus's pressure erupted, blowing Abis and Luke off him and into the cyclone's mayhem. Both screamed loudly as they were whirled around like dead fish in a whirlpool.

"Abis!" Luke screamed.

Megarus's eyes glimmered again and it went up the harsh vortex it created. It rode it ability and went towards Abis Omega.

Luke's eyes opened, seeing a glimmer of the fish swimming forwards them. His gasp was as quick as his heart rate. "Abis! Spin out! Swim out of the tornado!"

Abis told as told and tried to ride the vortex's direction. His two fins spread to held provide traction and his turning. He leaned backwards and mustered up whatever momentum to arch his flexible body into a somersault in time to avoid Megarus's spear tip that continued towards the sky. With the momentum gained, Abis strained as hard as possible to finally turn out of the tornado and serve out to open water.

"We've made it!" Luke cheered, but realizing he couldn't celebrate too soon, he looked back to see the tornado fading, revealing Megarus swimming after them. "He's swimming after us. Abis, let's hurry!"

"Got it! Hrrrrgh!" Abis swerved through the water in an effort to evade the swordfish Bakugan. It continued trailing them, no matter how far or in what direction they were going in. They weren't getting away that easily, not from him.

As Abis continued swimming, Megarus scowled loud as its eyes glimmered again. From every pore in its scaly blue top, blue energy arrows went flying at Abis, speeding like torpedoes, and yet as thin as arrows.

Megarus: 900 Abis Omega: 650 (-300) = 350

Abis hurried with a tight turn, but the arrows followed him. He tried to make haste and went swimming into an underwater rock field, where there, obstructions into rock pillars were everywhere in sight. "Hang on, Luke! This is gonna get rough!" Without anymore of a warning, Luke braced himself on his head. Abis went diving into canyon, where there, the showering rays flowed into the canyon.

Abis's flexible body allowed him to make any turns needed, whereas when the arrows tried to follow, there were obstructions that they all hit. Dust and rock exploded behind Luke and Abis as they swam deeper inwards, everything around them crumbling from the misfired attacks.

From behind them, Abis looked back to see what happened. He arched to find underwater dust dissipating, making the field of vision impossible to see out of. A short while passed before they thought they lost sight…but Megarus went shooting out at them. "WOAH!" In a hurry, Abis managed to snake his body to evade a powerful sting of the spear end, but the sharp fins Megarus had stung his sides, but not enough to deter him too bad as he tried to balance out.

"Abis, you okay?!" Luke worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Abis's voice held some degree of strain towards it, but he had no room to rest as Megarus reached out and began another turn back towards them.

"He's coming!" Luke warned. "Abis!"

"I trust you!" he assured.

Luke showed another ability. "Ability activate, Osmosis!" Slowly, Abis Omega began to camouflage into the seawater. His appearance became almost completely invisible for Megarus to detect, allowing for the Aquos Bakugan to have a reason to slow to a stop.

Megarus: 900 (-200) = 700 Abis Omega: 350

It looked around left and right, its red eyes trying to get visual of its prey. However, it wasn't aware of a human with an air bubble around the head hanging onto something behind.

'I gotta…no, we gotta hurry, and get it while it's turned.' "NOW!"

"Diamond Shower!"

Megarus turned around to see behind it, but it was met with a barrage of blue energy diamonds that rained at it like the arrows did earlier. Megarus took the attack head on, groaning in annoyance as its scales were bombarded by relentless volleys of the attack.

Megarus: 700 (-200) = 500 Abis Omega: 350 (+200) = 550

The barrage of diamonds continued pelting to no end, making an underwater energy cloud shrouding Megarus. In a few minutes, the shower of diamonds ended, and Abis Omega remained positioned as his partner held steadfastly.

"What did you think that did?" Luke asked.

"Not sure. I don't think it's good either way." The serpent answered. Normally, he wouldn't try to worry about such a case. If back in time, maybe he would've been gone by that first attack if not for Luke's guidance. That factor alone showed how much care he was giving him now, and that's what he had to exemplify.

As the energy field subsided, it revealed a pair of red eyes that glowed angrily within its uneasy wake. The smokescreen subsided to show Megarus again, still undeterred. "Really?" Luke exclaimed. "It wasn't affected?"

"Just how strong is this guy?" Abis wondered.

"Stronger than us, apparently…" For a moment, Luke could feel his worries tighten his heart a little. "Gotta go defensive!"

Megarus hissed loudly as it darted at Abis Omega again, its spear-like end enveloped in a bright blue light. Its speed increased as it went siphoning through the water like a knife.

Megarus: 500 (+200) = 700 Abis Omega: 550 (-200) = 350

Luke looked uneasy as Megarus true closer. 'If we try Coil Guard, then maybe we can nullify the ability. But…also…' Unpleasant thoughts began to cloud his mind of Megarus skewering Abis's body. The sight in the mind alone was gut-wrenching.

"Luke!"

Abis's warning came in time to Luke as Megarus drew closer. "S-sorry! Double ability, activate! Diamond Shower, plus Sea Helix!"

"This should slow him down!" Abis let out a shrilled shriek as his body unleashed another funnel of diamond-shaped energy that went all around him. On top of that, a spiral of seawater surged almost everywhere to the diamonds. The two attacks were an enlarged vortex that expanded so far out that it covered Megarus's vision again. Dense water with energy diamonds ran alongside them and pelted it, making it hiss angrily.

Megarus: 700 (-200 -100) = 400 Abis Omega: 350 (+200 +100) = 650

Even within that immense cyclone of dense water and diamonds, Megarus wasn't deterred that much. It continued to growl in an antagonizing manner as it closed in on Luke and Abis Omega, but at a little slower rate.

"Abis! Dive!" Abis arched his whole body straight down into the canyons to avoid Megarus. The Aquos Bakugan continued its path overhead, missing them by the skin of their teeth and went towards a mountain of underwater rock. The Bakugan struck the mountain's tip, making it topple into the dark depths beneath.

Hiding below from another rock mound, Abis looked up and saw Megarus swim around in a circle. "He's coming around. Even with that kind of power, he wasn't deterred in the slightest. I'm starting to think we might need a better plan, Luke." Abis waited for a response, but Luke said nothing. "Luke?"

Luke was looking down uneasily. He could feel his underwhelming demeanor boil up.

"Luke?!"

Hearing his name, Luke shook his head. "W-what? Sorry Abis, what?"

"I said…LOOK OUT!"

"Wha-?!" Suddenly, a loud shriek could be heard from above. They looked up, but instead, the mountain of rock they hid with broke apart and separated Luke and Abis. Now adrift in the water, the Aquos Megarus scowled as it rammed beside both with streams of blue spiraling around it.

Megarus: 400 (+400) = 800 Abis Omega: 650

The turbulence of the water churning swept up Luke. He wailed immensely as his pants got snarled by a rogue scale on Megarus's back. Luke screamed loudly as he was dragged away from his partner.

"LUKE!" Abis shrieked.

"Abis~~!" Luke's voice went faint as he was swept away with Megarus, who sailed on skywards out of the underwater canyons skywards.

As Abis watched his partner get dragged off, he could feel his annoyance rise. "Man! Even after what we did, trouble still drags us around!" He launched himself towards Luke. "But I guess that's what I chose! I'm coming, Luke!"

Megarus sailed higher and higher, and Luke was hanging on for dear life. Not far behind, Abis was tailing to the best of his ability underwater. He roared out loud as he attempted at closing the gap, and he did so swiftly.

Hearing his shriek, Megarus stopped his climb and looked down to see Abis heading his way. The Bakugan let out a shrilled shout as its tailfin began to swiftly move back and forth like a rudder that propelled it towards him.

Abis closed in, but as he did, his body vanished with Osmosis. With his body gone, Megarus continued diving at full speed,

"ABIS!" Luke cried.

Down below, a small refraction of light could detail Abis's outlining. "I'm…HERE!" He swung his tail skywards, blue streaks following in an arch at Megarus's underside. "Fine Melee!" He used all his might in that upward slash. The attack made a small cut as the blue streak faded, making Megarus hiss angrily and falter towards the side.

Megarus: 800 (-200) = 600 Abis Omega: 650 (+200) = 850

Luke was finally undone from the scale, but his pant leg was torn up bad. That was said the same way for his coat's edging. He drifted down, where Abis caught him on his head. "Ugggh." He sighed. "Thank you, Abis. That wasn't pretty."

"Don't mention it." He responded. "But are we doing anything?"

Luke looked on as Abis was onto something. His face began to grow dejected as he saw Megarus' body beginning to wiggle and twitch. The Bakugan hissed louder, making his hopes unsound.

"…and to think I thought there really was good in you. I was wrong."

Esther's words sunk deeply into him to make his heart rate soar. Those words, even if it wasn't the last sentence she spoke to him directly of, it was leaving him deterred further.

"Luke…don't make this any less degrading for you as you are now."

Shawn's words, the words of his own best friend, piled on. It was leaving him so clouded that it was making his vision hazy and dejected. For the moment, it felt like his efforts were being for…nothing. A sinking feeling was beginning to surge in his chest area that made him less than active.

"We're still doing nothing! Nothing!" Abis snapped.

Megarus's eye glimmered again as it straightened out. It gave a mocking hiss back at them and unleashed another blue vortex that swallowed them both up. Luke clung on as Abis folded his fins and went sailing through the whirlpool in distress.

Megarus: 600 (+300) = 900 Abis Omega: 850

Luke gurgled a wail yet again in his distress. Everything around him was topsy-turvy as harsh pressure whipped him and Abis around that they couldn't recover from.

"Even after he shot you down, you still call him 'Master'? I'm not sure if I'm supposed to pity you or feel sorry for your stupidity…no, nevermind. Pitying monsters like you is just a waste of time."

What Luka spoke of earlier made Luke's heart feel compressed as the world around him and Abis never failed to spin. Both were unsuccessful to balance in time when the cyclone finished swirling them out in the open.

"KRAAH!"

Megarus shot at high speeds with its spear-like end glowing blue. It passed Abis, striking him hard along the side. The serpent wailed in pain again, and Megarus came around like a torpedo that struck him again.

Megarus: 900 (+200) = 1100 Abis Omega: 850 (-200) = 650

Repeatedly, back and forth, Megarus swam in U-turns and darted into the weaker sea serpent. Each thud sounded like a wrecking ball and a shimmering knife. Abis wasn't able to gain even the slightest momentum as another strike from Megarus bypassed the underside of his chin, making a deep scrape that made Abis gagged.

"Abis…" Luke whimpered meekly. He was seeing his partner faltering towards the canyon below, an abyss of possible no return. He gritted his teeth in frustration. "Damnit…" Once again, the thought of losing was crossing his mind. "Damnit!"

Megarus came around again, shrieking loudly as it was diving in a steep angle, like it was attempting to skewer them entirely.

Luke gasped as he looked up again. "Abis! Twelve o' clock high!"

"Gnnngh, h-huh?" Straining from the injuries he's sustained, Abis looked up with blurry vision to see a blue blur with a bright blue nose heading right for him. "Crap…"

In a desperate attempt, Luke pulled up one more ability. "Ability activate, Dry World!"

Megarus: 1100 (-200) = 900 Abis Omega: 650 (+200) = 850

A dense wave of water washed up around Abis before it enveloped him in a globe of dense, blue water. The Bakugan was scrunched up inside of his hemisphere as it acted like a veil. Megarus came at him full speed with no momentum lost. Abis was able to shake off his blurry vision for a moment to dart up at him with whatever means he could do.

Both Bakugan closed the gap with each other, red eyes meeting orange as blue water and a spear came together.

BLOOSH!

In a swift fashion, it happened as white enveloped the background. Time slowed down drastically for a moment as the bubble of water around Abis popped upon contact. Megarus continued and passed Abis, making a streak of blue follow as the snake went limp. On the head, the shock and jerking got Luke too, making him gag inside his air bubble. Like two peas in a pod, both faltered back as Megarus zoomed on away, continuing the descent as Abis and Luke slowly plunged behind.

At this point, any Abis Omega would have been eliminated from one blow, but Luke and his Abis Omega got off lucky with how their visions and light were both growing dark. They both went head-first as they slowly drifted towards the bottom.

Weakly opening his eyes, he saw what a blue serpent drift was down with him. 'Abis Omega…' He didn't even have the motivation to even mutter his partner's name. He didn't even deserve to. He let this happen to both of them because of his incompetence. 'Abis…please…no, don't forgive me…'

As they both descended, Megarus's shriek came from the distance. It was coming around again, with the bright tip no less. It was readying for the puncturing blow.

Abis weakly opened his eyes, seeing his partner's own descending form. 'Luke.'

Both man and Bakugan drifted weakly into the pressure below. Neither had any power, nor the capability, to speak up of the pain each was feeling inside. It was hard to even tell if one was responsive. Neither could hear. Neither could breathe. Neither could even recognize the other because of a mess each was. For all they knew, they were strangers, strangers brought together by a twisted thread of fate that sewed them together. And the fabric that was making them as one wasn't the softest, nor the kind that one wants to touch.

But for Luke – for Abis Omega – as they descended, even their images were perfectly aligned as they sunk to darker depths. They fell deeper into an abyss that they deliberately got themselves into.

'I did this to us. I did this to all of us.' The sadness Luke was feeling was growing more and more s he felt nothing but a lead weight against his legs. He thought back to the fight he had with Abis Omega, and how it left him more of a jerk than ever. 'I shoved everyone away…I shoved even my own partner away. I didn't even know why I was into Bakugan to begin with. I thought they were cool on TV, but…knowing how it feels now…' Though he couldn't see it from his lack of strength, he knows Abis was hurt. Physically and mentally. 'Shawn…Esther…Abis…I brought pain. Maybe this is the way that it needs to go for us.'

At the same time, Abis Omega's vision was bleak. He wasn't able to make up much of Luke either. 'Luke…' He thought back to his time back in the riverbank, where he was just a regular Abis Omega like the other Bakugan. 'I really wasn't worth much, huh…I guess being someone as weak as myself really means something now.' He meekly chuckled to himself to avoid any lack of comedy for his own expense. 'I never really had friends nor had a reason to fight, and then by some dumb luck, you and Esther and Atchibee came around. Now look. The irony. A Bakugan like me, and a human like you…we're both pretty worthless.'

Megarus's silhouette could be seen from the distance. The Bakugan was closing in at a swift rate to end it all.

Their eyes both shut completely, their bodies shutting down as they were ready to accept what both vowed. And that's when that very thought came to be.

"You really think dying will fix what happened?"

"Of course not. I see that now. The world of any kind doesn't work like that. It's no wonder Mom and Dad locked me up…but hiding like I was from reality is never what I asked for, and neither did the fates of everyone in Thermosphere…or our friends…"

For the briefest of moments, Luke and Abis opened their eyes. The lives they stole from reality came back, but in their minds, it wasn't a handicap, it was a memento they had to treasure. 'All those people we hurt…we said me might die for them.'

"…Abis. No matter what happens next; whatever dumb mistakes I make; I just want you to know, you're my partner that I want to share this burden with. You stuck with me, and I can't ask for another Bakugan, because they wouldn't begin to understand what you went through a terrible guy like me."

Abis nodded. "And for what's it's worth…life's pretty interesting since I've met you."

'No matter what happens…Abis.' From the corner of Luke's eyes, small bits of tears were beginning to show themselves. A small grin grew on his face. 'You know, it's kinda funny. I never felt so…so…happy.' For the first time, in what felt like a very long time, Luke was feeling something he hardly felt, even when Shawn was around. And it was this warmth that crept underneath his skin that was like an ember that was starting to warm every cell in his body. The same feeling Abis never felt before.

Friendship.

From the corner of his own lips, Abis began to grin as well. 'I actually have a friend. And he actually wants to be with me, even in death…Luke…' From the corner of his own eyes, Abis also began to mist. 'Thank you for making this purposeless Bakugan have something to hold onto. Believe it or not, I actually did feel strength at certain points. I'm sure you did, too…'

They were aligned perfectly. Luke was eye level to Abis Omega as they were sinking. But the lighthearted thoughts they were beginning to feel were buoyant to where they could feel their actual bodies stop plummeting. Both their eyes met as green and orange stared deeply.

'Abis…'

'Luke…'

Even now, more of their thoughts and what they promised then after crossed their minds. "If we die, then so be it. But no matter what, if anything happens to us, we know what's at stake…and now we're gonna fight to make that change. We'll save as many lives as possible from here on. The lives of Earth. The Bakugan. Even the Interacians. I owe it to all of them to make their lives have meaning through my actions. If I can save just one person in the end, then that proves something. And even after, I'll fight on until this matter is settled once and for all."

"Agreed, partner."

'That's right. Ever since we've made that vow, it was like some fire ignited inside of me. And no matter what, it's not going out. We've been through a lot together in just a short time, haven't we?' Luke felt his fingers twitch. They slowly balled into fists.

As for Abis, he was twitching his own fins. 'We vowed…to make a will…that we are to carry on. As a team!'

'Abis…' Luke's strength returned as he found himself swimming towards Abis. When he got close enough, his hand reached and touched his snout. He held on with a soft look in his eyes. 'That's right. We might be dying together like we promised…but still…!' He got on Abis' head again and anchored himself as Abis spread his fins one last time. Each shred an intense determination.

"If we're going down…then we're going down fighting!"both roared in unison. "Let's go!"

Even though his fins were tattered and damaged some from Megarus' repeated shots, he unfolded them and went bolting ahead. He swam with as much speed he could muster, slithering back and forth to no momentum lost down towards Megarus.

"HRAAAAH!" Both roared as their muscles bolted with that big push.

Megarus closed in at an alarming rate, hissing loudly as the spear end shimmered.

"ALL THE WAY!" Luke roared. "TO THE BITTER END!"

"ALL THE WAY!" Abis closed in and opened his mouth, unleashing a loud hiss as some pressure began to build up inside of him. An empowering feeling from the adrenaline coursing through his body was making a small clue energy sphere at his mouth, which spiraled and gathered more energy.

Megarus shrieked loudly as it drew even closer at rates of a torpedo.

As the energy gathered in Abis Omega's mouth, Luke was hanging on with the will to fight on. He saw a bright blue glow resonate from his Bakumeter, getting his attention. When he looked at it, he saw that on it was an ability card projection as usual, but this one was different. "Wait, isn't that…!"

Abis Omega unleashed one last battle cry before all the energy was at its peak. At long last, his mouth shut before he unleashed it with all his mouth.

"AQUOS CYCLOWAVE!"

His mouth tore open, unleashing a compressed beam of bright blue that shot like an intense laser with deals of power behind it. It bolted right into Megarus, scoring an intense blast right into the nose, which, made it falter to show its abdominal underside, the weak point. The Aquos attack blasted into that, whereas Megarus shrieked loudly from undesirable pain.

Megarus: 900 Abis Omega: 850 (+400) = 1250

Abis Omega roared even louder than before. His shrieks bellowed out as the attack's intensity strengthened to where Megarus was unable to hold its own. The beam finally pushed it back with all the force imaginable that shot it downwards in a steep line into a rock mountain.

"KRRAAAAH!" Its bellows went hoarse as the beam and its body collided with the mountain, making a bright blue explosion mixed with rock and dust from the erupting debris. Even though they couldn't see, Luke and Abis Omega know from the darkness and the many blue flashes that their little display was leaving them both in small states of shock.

"Dis…did we just…" Luke stammered.

"Yeah, I…I think so…"

A bleak shriek could be heard as the explosion and rock was subsiding within the dark depths. Both peered down to see bits of rock sinking, along with what looked like the swordfish's backside. The body went limp as the fish's final shrieks were heard, and the body gave a meek blue light within the depths, disappearing completely into abyssal refuge.

Though they were exhausted, Luke looked pleasantly pleased with what happened. He, as well as Abis, looked at each other and smiled.

"We actually won." Luke stammered.

Abis tiredly chuckled. "Well I'll be. That actually felt pretty good…" He began to trail off as his body began to falter towards the canyons.

"Abis!" Luke shouted.

Abis Omega caught himself before it was too late. He shook his head and steadied himself. "Sorry about that. Guess I'm kinda worn out…"

Luke shook his own head. "No, it's what we deserve." He looked back up closer towards the surface, seeing the many waves rippling above their heads, even from their depths. "But you know…I actually think we're going to make progress."

Abis looked up as well, seeing brightness above. "Yeah, me too."

A short silence fell between the two before Luke decided to make his own decision.

"Let's go find some shallow water. I'm sure we can recuperate there I bet."

"Sounds good." Weakly, Abis swam with Luke holding on, his blue body like a sea serpent no less gliding through the blue density.

---

Inside his chambers, Riaan was ready to transport himself when something tickled on the back of his neck. He turned around, feeling something odd that made him rather questionable. "Hm? Was that that just now?" He looked ahead, albeit wearily. "And why does this bother me? Perhaps seeing Lucia will help with this case." He teleported out of his room, leaving his doubts in the darkness.

---

"Atchibee! This way!" Another blue beam narrowly struck Atchibee. She readjusted her course to what her partner said and flew besides the shoreline. Behind them, many of Bakugan were tailing, and weren't letting up their pursuit on them.

However, that all changed when they made it to somewhere that made Esther gasp.

At the base, they were halted by a small cliff, which lead up to a manmade tunnel. The oddest thing was that it lied right beside a waterfall, one grand and large coming from streams conjoined at the top of the mountain it rested upon. This was where they were cornered, and this was where the Bakugan all around were gathered around the sanity.

"Looks like they got us." Esther begrudgingly admitted. "Looks like we'll need a more forceful way through then."

"Oh is that so?"

A familiar voice made Esther gasp. Her blue eyes widened with surprise over the voice's feminine familiarity. 'That voice…'

A pair of footsteps walked up within the Bakugan surrounding the area, with another pair trekking right beside. "And here I thought you had more planning than just force. That's what you get with having meatheads for friends I suppose." That same feminine voice chuckled mockingly, much to the other's neutral transgression.

"You know, some people can take that the wrong way, Ariella."

"Oh pipe down. We have her where we want her. Now the fun begins."

Atchibee glared ahead, her uneasiness showing. "Esther."

The Darkus girl glared ahead, her fists balling as she found out how this all happened. "I should've known…" Her glare cast upon the two figures who stepped up from the crowd. "So it was you."

Standing before the Bakugan army at hand, Ariella stood beside Xander, who had arms crossed and smirking in a smug manner at the irony of the situation. Behind them, Clawcer and Hyper Dragonoid were both out of ball form, ready to engage with their cornered prey.

"Xander. And Ariella." Atchibee responded.

Ariella smirked. "Did you miss us?" she teased. "Don't worry, we'll be sure to treat you well. Very well in fact."

---

Happy 4th of July to all my American readers out there! I know I should've updated sooner, but I've been working a lot lately, plus I have some plans I needed to redo. Anyways, while Shawn isn't in the picture yet, this was more of battles wrapping up, as well as Luke and Abis Omega having signs of evolution by means of new abilities. Don't worry, eventually they will truly evolve, but I'm taking steps first like they did in Season 1 with power levels and season 2 with new abilities coming first. But for now, hope you review and happy independence to all!